WE WANT YOU TO LOVE YOUR HOME

Good morning!

We hope this Sunday morning has found you relaxed at home and surrounded by the good memories, things, and people you love and that make your home special.

Our goal at Haymount Homes is that you love the home you have chosen. We want you to feel like it is your safe place, your happy place, and your refuge. When things are tough outside, our homes can offer that escape inside. During this time of limited travel, our homes are more important than ever.

We had to share an instagram post from one of our clients. It touched our hearts and made us smile. It is simple, but exactly what we strive for: joy in the simplicity of home and haymount.

Simple, but so perfect. Getting to know our neighbors, sharing what we have, and being thankful. Rachel contacted me later to say she was inspired to plant her new oregano in the garden she had started. Later that same day, another client came over to share a hardship that she was going through. It was wonderful to lend support to her and offer reassurance that we would be able to support her. She cried and stated, “I just cannot tell you how much I love my home. I never want to leave it. Thank you.”

These moments drive us. We want to consistently offer homes that have stories- your story. We want you to build your life on a foundation of love and inside a home that wraps you up when you walk through the door. Our homes are old and historic, they have stories too, but they are full of years of experience and are ready to protect you as well.

Thanks to our amazing clients. We appreciate you and the stories you are creating inside your Haymount Home!

- Casey and Carl

Staying Strong During Chaos - A Letter to Military Families

Well, it has certainly been a week. So much to think about and adjust to. I sat to reflect and as the FRG leader for Carl’s Battalion, I felt that I needed to reach out to our military families, but I wanted to include all families that might benefit from the letter, so I decided to share it with you all. Please know that we are all in this together and I want everyone to know that we are ready to help should anyone need it. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Casey

Hello Families,

I hope my email finds you well and staying home with your families.  I apologize for any delay in getting my email out to you, but like many of you, there has been much to figure out over the last two weeks. 

The impacts of COVID-19 have been strong.  We fight fear, boredom, isolation, and anxiety on a daily basis. We are faced with new routines and different challenges than we have ever experienced before.  We are scared as a people, and concerned as a nation.  Even more, we struggle to predict the future as we try to decipher the truth.  

We are parents to children that don't understand.  We are children of parents that we fear will fall ill.  We struggle to make sacrifices that we don't readily see the outcome of value.  We try to persevere, we cut back, we cope, but we fatigue.

I want to remind you that you are NOT alone.  Though we cannot be physically together, our military community is strong.  In fact, our military families have more training to face these battles than most of our civilian counterparts.  When I paused to reflect, several pieces of hope came to mind and I wanted to share these same things with you.

As military families, we have been through so much and we are used to sacrifice.  We are used to the government restricting our abilities to choose things.  While at times this is limiting, it is essential for us to make these sacrifices for our freedom.  We are used to adjusting to change, new schedules, moving pieces, and handling the unknown.  We face these anxieties with courage and faith that tomorrow will come and we will be strong and ready to face the next challenge, having already met the challenge from the day before.  

Additionally, as military families, we are thankful.  We have the comfort of a paycheck coming every month and it is evident how meaningful that has suddenly become.  We are confident that we have resources to help us if we struggle.  We are so used to missing our loved ones, that we can even more appreciate the fact that most of us are getting more time together than ever before. 

During this difficult time, please remember you are prepared and you have possibly been through worse.  Our great-grandparents made sacrifices for our country during the world wars.  As military families, we have made sacrifices for our country during the wars that followed.  This war is a world war of a different type and magnitude, and our country can pull together to make the sacrifice it needs to win.   We are used to these sacrifices, and we can lead the way.

If you or your family are in need during this time, please don't hesitate to reach out. Remember that fresh food, good sleep, exercise, hydration, self care, prayer and meditation and even time alone can help bolster you and your families' immunity to stay well.  Do what you can to be healthy and extend yourself grace during the challenges of each day; you will get through this and we can help one another.  We are stronger together, even if from a social distancing length.

Keep running the race and keep the faith.  You are stronger than you know. We can do this!

All the best - from our family to yours,

Casey Benander

GRATITUDE - FREE Gratitude Art Prints

It has certainly been a troubling week for our nation and our world. The concern of the spreading global epidemic is scary and unsettling. During these times, I find myself pulling back and trying to ground myself in what blessings we are surrounded by. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know our attitude toward whatever comes our way will guide our perspectives.

While recently on our family vacation, I visited a local boutique that I fell in love with. The boutique was filled with inspiration and wonderful words of wisdom. While shopping, I picked up two tea towels that featured quotes that inspired me. I had intentions of framing the towels, but decided instead to include them as part of a wedding gift for a young friend of mine.

Because I loved the quotes, I created art prints to keep for our home, and I wanted to share them with you. Please feel free to download the PDF Files or the JPeg Files to create designs or art prints for your home.

We need to continue to do good in the world, even during times that cause us to fear tomorrow. We need to be thankful for what we have, and share with those who need us the most. The more we can reach out to one another, the stronger the world becomes. While we have to be careful and smart, we need to remember that we need one another to make this world work.

I hope you find as much inspiration in these quotes as I did. Please enjoy them, share them, and live by them.

- Casey

CELEBRATING FRIENDS

Good Morning Friends!

It has been quite a week at the Benander house with Carl’s change of command ceremony, celebrations, baseball tournament and first communion. We are blessed to have family visiting to joint in the festivities and we have enjoyed the time so much. It always amazes me the caliber of the families we engage with and the community we have.

On that note, we were also saddened this week to say goodbye to some of our long time friends, Sydney and Adam….and now Baby WILSON! When Sydney and Adam first contacted me to rent our home on Kelburn drive, they were dating and moving to Fort Bragg. I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam’s mom on the phone and she provided me with a great reference for Adam. That reference, however, came with a condition that I try to ensure he asked Sydney to marry him! Ha!

Fast forward life, now four years later, Sydney and Adam are married and have welcomed adorable little Wilson into their world. As they were moving out, I had the chance to hold Wilson and also finally meet Adam’s mother. It was an honor for me and it was fun to joke about the fact that she “owed” me for the engagement success and now her new grandchild :) We had a lot of fun.

Last night, Sydney posted this on facebook and it brought my heart joy:

Goodbye Fort Bragg, hello Fort Campbell. Fort Bragg will always be special to us. We got engaged to married to having our first son in this amazing home. Fayetteville, NC we can’t forget you or the 82nd Airborne! ❤️💙

Homes should be the place of security. The place you feel safe to live, grow, and develop as a person and a family. When we started Haymount Homes, we wanted people to love their surroundings and focus on loving their life. Adam and Sydney’s story has shown just that and we are grateful. Over the last few years, our homes have seen several proposals and engagements, so I know there is more fun in store!

Thank you again Baker family. Though we are sad to see you go, we look forward to your return. Remember, “All Roads Lead to Fayetteville.” God bless you, dear friends!!

- Casey

Rent for Good - Charitable Giving Contest

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It is with deep gratitude that I write this post. We started Haymount Homes with the intention of investing in our community. Throughout the last few years, we have been continually blessed with amazing clients and community support. We have often been the first to know about our clients’ most important life events: think expecting a new baby, witnessing a new wedding engagement, or celebrating a promotion. We have been introduced to parents and friends of our clients’, given pardon during difficult repairs, and even been fortunate enough to grant our own level of grace through some of their difficult moments. The network of community gets woven stronger with each interaction and we feel the sense of something very powerful developing. We could have never imagined that this journey would be so amazing, and we are excited to see where it will lead.

In that vein, we are thrilled to announce our giving challenge to our amazing clients. We would like to know what local charity deserves your next rental payment. That’s right. We want you to tell us which local non-profit organization is doing the work that you think is making a difference to our community. From the submissions we will choose one winner and our family will donate 100% of the winner’s next rental payment to that charity.

Let us know who is doing the most good and who is out there making a difference in our community. Who is important to you and why? It’s up to you. We want to know and we want to help. Please email me with your submission by January 10th, 2019. We will choose our winner by the end of January.

“Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.”

— Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street

Thank you for all you have done for our family; we are beyond grateful. Together we are building a stronger community. We wish you the very best Christmas and the most blessed new year. We cannot wait to hear about your nominations!

- Casey

Anticipation of Christmas

Good evening!

I hope your Christmas season is going well and you are nearing the finish line of your “to-do’s”. I just had to write a little something that has been on my mind as of late.

The holidays are full of energy and also a time full of anticipation. There is much to do, much to enjoy, and much to be thankful for. It is easy to find ourselves rushed in the pace of all of it. I know personally there are a lot of things I want to do, but don’t always prioritize what is likely most important.

My youngest son, Oliver, is a quiet force in my world. Even though he was born into a midst of chaos (think moving across country 9 months pregnant), he brought a sense of balance and peace to our lives. Oddly enough, we always knew that there was a fourth child that was belonged in our family. We joke and say he “brought balance to the force” (thank you Star Wars).

Oliver reminds me to look at what I would otherwise miss. As the fourth child, he has learned to go with the flow. He has adapted to schedules, games, home renovations, and deadlines. He has been tossed in the car, scooped up from naps, and has played quietly at the sidelines of his siblings’ activities. I will admit to some lazy parenting at this point. Things that were once the staples of holiday traditions, such as trips to the pumpkin patch, gathering fall leaves, or meeting Santa, have somewhat fallen to the wayside. It’s easy to disregard these activities when you have games to get to, homes to fix, and work deadlines to meet. We can start to view them as “not that important.”

So when Oliver quietly approached me last week and asked when he could meet Santa, I had to take pause. I realized that he had never had the chance to visit Santa. That made me sad. His eyes were anxious with anticipation and that made me think; the holidays are so full of anticipation of what’s to come, that sometimes we miss what is actually already present. Here was Oliver ready to embrace a simple holiday tradition that I had overlooked.

I think my excitement often gets channeled into just being efficient. There seems to be “so much to do”, that the energy of anticipation gets transferred into energy of action. There is great discipline in taking that same anxious anticipation and slowing down to truly appreciate what already is. I know it is a bit cliche, but it was important to me to make that known, even if it was just for myself.

We did go see Santa, and it was amazing. We were treated to a night at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens Holiday Lights (if you have not been, you still have time to go - it’s pretty incredible). Oliver was nervous, but excited, and he calmly told Santa that he most wished for a pirate ship. He also asked for confirmation that he had been a good boy. That was it. Simple and sweet, but totally perfect. Following Santa, we were able to visit Santa’s treat shop, take a caroling hayride and toast s’mores by the fire. It was fun to be together and just enjoy the holidays.

I hope you find yourselves in great anticipation of Christmas this year. The birth of Christ is a time to look forward to and celebrate without a doubt. In that anticipation, I hope you also find new things in your daily life that pop up as things greater than what you anticipated. Whether it be a silly quote from your child, a gesture from a stranger, or a kind word from a friend, I hope you are able to take pause and be in the moment. It is a struggle for me, but I know it is probably more important than anything else I am planning to do. Life happens in those moments; what we plan to do, doesn’t always pan out.

“..that sanguine expectation of happiness which is happiness itself”

— Jane Austin, Sense and Sensibility

Merry Christmas to your family. May the wonder of it all surround you and may you anticipate what is to come and cherish what you already have.

Casey

CAROLINA STRONG - COMMUNITY IN ACTION

It’s no secret that I love my neighborhood and Fayetteville. During this time of challenge, that love continues to be reinforced. We have heard from all our dear clients and they are weathering the storm safely. Some have sustained some minor damage to their home, but it is all repairable. I love the old homes that protect us. Their near 100 year old walls were built with purpose, intention and protection.

I appreciate our contractors, electricians and plumbers who have already contacted me to ensure things will be repaired. I love that our community is reaching out, supporting one another and offering support. I see neighbors brushing debris from gutters, sheltering those without power, offering their homes to evacuated families. No one wants to be in a disaster, but it is amazing the strength that arrives when one hits. Even my cousin in Charlotte crowned her barricade with an American Flag. We can face anything.

Our prayers are with our friends to the east as they try to regain our beautiful beaches and shorelines. Our prayers continue for those here in Fayetteville affected by the rising waters. I pray your anxiety will be relieved and your lives will be safe. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We will be here for you.

Please continue to pray for the Carolinas and all affected by Hurricane Florence. To those that have already traveled miles to assist us, we extend our gratitude. Please continue to support your own communities. Together we are stronger.

Casey

HAYMOUNT HOMES - WESTMONT DRIVE - AVAILABLE FOR RENT

Happy May!  We are excited to announce the availability of our highly sought after Westmont Drive Property.  Our current clients have received promotions and are off to training (congratulations to you guys!) and they regret having to leave Haymount.  We are going to miss them too, but wish them well on their new adventure.

As a result, this amazing three bedroom, two bathroom home will be available in July.  Everything is fully renovated and ready for your family to enjoy.  Contact us today to schedule a viewing.  You can call or text Casey at 910-818-7045 or email us at casey@haymounthomesllc.com.

There has been fabulous attention to detail placed into each corner of this home. To allow you to enjoy the comfort, full professional lawn care is included in the rent! The kitchen boasts custom cabinetry and back splash with under cabinet lighting, stainless appliances, gas range and quality fixtures.

Enjoy easy entertaining with the gracious kitchen island, seating up to five people at once! Enjoy a sunny breakfast in the eat-in kitchen while overlooking your backyard oasis from your window view and lovely french door. This darling home features three large bedrooms, all with ceiling fans, two full baths with custom tile and a nod to the home's historic charm with the original glazed bathtub.

The home's original wood burning fireplace graces the front room, perfect for relaxing and entertaining. Beautiful refinished hardwood floors are featured throughout the entire home, and the windows are outfitted with decorative curtain rods. The full attic offers ample storage and a cooling fan to enjoy the summer breeze.

The fully fenced back yard is ready for entertaining, complete with a back porch and patio. Beautiful gardens and lush gardens offer a place for your little ones or pets to play, while you relax from your rocking chair. Enjoy easy and secure living with lawn care service included in your rent and an alarm system available. 

Located in the heart of Haymount and voted the best neighborhood in Fayetteville. Only a few blocks from the wonderful General Lee Park, ice cream shops, schools, restaurants, theater and more, the convenient living and location of your new home cannot be beat.

With its classic charm, modern conveniences, top rated schools, and centrally located wonderful neighborhood, this house will be a wonderful place to call home. Longer lease length available for those who wish to embrace southern living and stay awhile!! :)

Our homes rarely hit the market and when they do, they don't last long.  Don't pass up this opportunity to make Haymount your home.  You'll be glad you did.  Contact us today!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

To all the fabulous Mothers in our world, we wish you a most beautiful Mother's Day.  We hope you are able to celebrate with those that helped you become the mother that you are. 

It has been awhile since I updated the blog, and that has been partially because I have been working to be more present to the ones that call me mother. They are my joy and my world.  I am forever grateful for my amazing husband, the man that allowed me to become a mother.  These kids are unique and varied, but each are beautiful in their own way -  just like these flowers we gathered from the yard yesterday. 

I plan to launch back full swing over the next few weeks, but for now, in this busy month of May, I hope you find time to cuddle those around you, share a silly laugh, and find curiosity in the journey of motherhood.  Though it comes with stress and the occasional hair pulling moment (or moments), when you give it pause, it just might be the most rewarding job in the world.

Thank you to all the amazing mothers in my life; you have guided me and loved me along my journey.   And to my incredible mother, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you are, who you are, and all you've shared with me.  I could not ask for a better friend and my heart is full of gratitude that cannot be expressed.

Celebrate your Mom today, either near or afar!!  We'll be in touch soon.

- Casey

VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIE EXCHANGE

Cookies make me smile.  Do they make you smile?  It's even hard to say the word "cookie" without a least a little grin squeezing its way in.

There are so many reasons to love cookies.  I think my love of cookies started while growing up with a mother that made everything (I think I mean EVERYTHING) from scratch.  I was one of seven kids and we were always allowed to help in the kitchen.  It is no accident that we all learned to love cookies.  My mom was known for her "famous chocolate chip cookies" and the neighborhood kids seemed to always be aware when there was a batch in the oven.  People were always impressed that she had not produced them from a refrigerated roll of dough, but rather had taken the time to create them on her own.

Of course, my love of baking grew from that kitchen and continued on through high school, college, and now into my adult life.  The tradition continues as I have two daughters that are pretty passionate about baking.  My oldest, Annika, has visions of her own bakery some day.  At times it is difficult to keep up with the ingredients in our home as the girls burn through them crafting their new creations and testing their own recipes. 

The obvious benefits of baking are the delicious outcomes and beautiful treats, but I believe that baking offers us much more.  Baking brought me closer with my family growing up and it is bringing my children closer to me now.  We spend time together dreaming of ideas, working as a team to narrow our vision, and then executing our plan to achieve an outcome we've all agreed upon.  The teamwork that results is a pretty incredible benefit from such a simple task.  There are even other studies to show that baking has health benefits such as relieving stress and lowering blood pressure (that is baking part anyway, the whole "eating the cookies" thing at the end might offset that a bit :) 

Baking brings people together in another way: sharing the fruits of your labor.  One of our family's favorite things are holiday parties where we share our baked goods with family and friends.  Traditionally, we always tried to do this at Christmas, making lots of treats for family and friends.  Unfortunately, Christmas can get busy and parties are so numerous that everyone seems to be rushed, making it difficult to squeeze in another event.  My kids love to decorate cookies, and Christmas is no exception.  Although we still decorate Christmas cookies, it often gets difficult to share them with everyone during the rush of the holidays, and it leaves you feeling like your hard work is a bit lost.

Because of this chaos, we started focusing our main baking efforts to Valentine's Day.  February is a slower month with less obligations and events, allowing us more time to enjoy the process.  Plus, Valentine's Day is all about love and we love baking, cookies, and friends.  What better way to celebrate than to host a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange?  Though we don't do the party every year, we definitely make plenty of cookies for the season either way.  We have found that people have more time to pour themselves into the process and enjoy their time together during Valentine's Day because they don't have ten other parties to attend during the same season.

You don't have to host the party on the actual day of Valentine's Day, but sometime around the month of February.  If you are unfamiliar with a cookie exchange, allow me to educate you on how the party works.  It's pretty simple. 

• Create your guest list and confirm the attendants. 
• Each guest is to make a dozen cookies (or half dozen - just decide the number based on what you think is appropriate for the size of your guest list) for each member on the list. (ex: if you have 5 total guests, then each of you will make 5 dozen cookies).
• Everyone brings their cookies to the party and you exchange the cookies. 
• Everyone leaves with five dozen cookies, all of different types!

Simple!!  There are no rules (unless you want to create them!) but you can open it up to cookies, treats, bars or whatever makes sense for you.  During the party, you can offer other food and treats, drinks, or simple just enjoy the cookies. You can have guests pre-wrap the cookies into their pre-sorted dozens to make the exchange simple, or you can turn it into a game to select the cookies.  You will be surprised how cute people decide to wrap up their treats, or how fun the games can be to choose the cookies.  It's pretty simple.  Just have fun with it and enjoy your time together.  One additional thing we did at our last party is offer little paper hearts to our guests so that they could write "things they loved" on the hearts and then we put them up on the wall.  It was fun to see what made the list - both from adults and children alike!

I hope baking and cookies bring you as many happy memories as they bring me.  It's been fun to watch my children create, make mistakes, and try again.  I think back to the time that I was eight years old and making my mom's famous chocolate chip cookies.  My mom was in the other room folding laundry, so this was a pretty independent project (or at least in my eight year old head it was).  I told my mom that I needed more salt for my cookies, but that we were out of salt.  She seemed confused as she knew we had plenty of salt.  Mom, being the great mom she was, simply replied, "How much salt do you need?"  Confident in my measuring, I brought my one cup measuring cup 4/5 full of salt into the room where she was.  I showed her my nearly filled cup, and proudly stated (again) that we needed more salt.  She smiled and said, "I think you should look at the recipe again.  You might be confusing the salt with the sugar."  Whoops.  As usual, she was right, saving my recipe from complete disaster.  She helped me find my error with grace and kindness, rather than leaving me feeling inadequate and inept.  To this day, I have never added a cup of salt to another recipe; lesson learned!

It is through error that we learn.  I am thankful that I had a mom willing to teach me.  I try to remember this when my children are baking.  There will be mistakes, messes, and frustration, but through it all, we grow closer and learn to be better.  Then, even if imperfect, we can share those efforts of love with people we love.  

“If baking is any labor at all, it’s a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation.”

— Regina Brett

I hope you will give a Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange a try, or at least, jump into a new tradition of Valentine's Day cookie decorating.  When we step back from life and take the time to bake, we create a lot more than cookies.  We create relationships and joy that extend far beyond the kitchen.  Life is busy, no doubt, but cookies always seem to slow it down a little bit and offer a moment to smile. 

Do you love to bake? Did you have someone teach you? Are you teaching your kids? What are you doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?  I would love to know!

- Casey

WHY WASHINGTON WANTS YOU TO RENT A HOME

Sing with me: Fa La La La La, La La La....TAXES.  Happy 2018!

Like many of you, I spent the last two weeks of 2017 scrambling to understand the new lax code.  Not that I am complaining (okay, maybe I am), but hopefully next time we decide to complete a total overhaul of the tax code, maybe we could do it with a little more time on the tail end for the nation to react before the end of the year!  I felt so bad for the employees at tax firms, accounting and investing companies that were handling such a rapid increase in call volume and servicing right during the holidays.  However, all those wait times allowed me some extra research into the new tax laws for 2018. 

After a lot of reading, it has become pretty apparent that the new tax codes are favoring the rental market.  This is not a great surprise to me as the new code is likely designed with business in mind.  Though I am still a homeowner and plan to be in the future, I wanted to highlight a few areas in which the code is more attractive to renting homes.  Whether that means you are thinking of renting or buying a home, or if you are planning to pick up a property to rent, this post is just another consideration in your journey in either aspect.

One more disclaimer.  I am not an investment adviser, attorney, or accountant (though after reading through the tax code, I think any of these credentials would have been helpful!).  Therefore, this is just what I am sharing from my reading.  Little old me and my ideas.  Read this with a grain of salt.  Ok. There THAT is. 

Mortgage Interest Deductions Have Decreased

You cannot deduct as much interest on primary and secondary home mortgages as you did in the past.  Current loans that are in place prior to the new tax code are grandfathered in (meaning you can treat them as you did under the past tax code).  Moving forward, any new loans will be subject to new level of interest deduction.  This might affect you if you are looking for a larger or more expensive primary residence or considering a second mortgage for upgrading your home (or financing another thing like college using your a home equity loan).  You can now deduct the interest from a combined value of all home mortgages of $750,000, which is reduced from the prior code.

$10,000 Cap on Local and State Tax Deduction

If you have a home and work in the same state, your deduction for your property taxes (local) and state taxes (from your income), are now capped at $10,000.  This means if you pay $10,000 in property taxes every year, you can deduct them but no longer receive credit for the taxes you paid to your state in income.  If you paid $10,000 in state income taxes, you can no longer receive credit you paid for property taxes to your local government.  If you paid $15,000 in property taxes, you don't get to deduct that last $5k.  Same goes for your income tax.  Therefore, depending on your local and state tax rates, some of your previous deductions gained by owning a home, might be diminished.

Mortgage Interest and Property Taxes on Rental Properties are a Business Expense, not a Deduction

Looking at the first law, you might be nervous if you own several homes as rental properties.  I know I was. Upon further review, I remembered that the mortgage interest and property taxes of rental homes are taken as business expenses on the rentals, not as deduction on the taxes.  What this means is that the full amounts of interest and property taxes paid are a direct expense to the business and are not taken as a proportionate deduction on taxes.  Therefore, these new tax laws for home ownership are not the same for a business renting homes. Whew.

“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.
”

— Sir Isaac Newton

Where does this leave us?  Owning a rental property is not a bad plan with the new tax code, even though it might seem scary at first.  If you are considering a jumbo mortgage, or a second mortgage, and are using property taxes and interest deductions as part of your rationale and computation, you need to consider the fact that those rules have changed.  That does not mean buying a home is a bad idea (not at all in my opinion), but when playing the game of home purchases, you better be sure you understand the rules.  

Are you going to buy a new home this year?  Does the new tax code change your thoughts on any of it?  Have you thought about buying a rental property this year?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

- Casey

 

HOLIDAY PARTIES WITHOUT THE WORK

I love parties.  I love going to them, throwing them, and decorating for them.  I love all of it.  My kids and I love all the fun design, planning, staging, and creation that goes into throwing a great party.  We love to open our home and invite our friends and family to enjoy the party that we create. We love it all.

Enter the holidays....enter the time crunch.

While I love throwing parties, including throwing parties during the holidays, I know that life can get hectic and there is not always time to create a party at home.  It might be the fact that you cannot get the house in order, cannot plan all the events or assemble all the pieces that make your typical parties so fun.  Sometimes, there just is a time shortage.

Enter: Gathered Marketplace.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Gathered Marketplace, let me educate you.  Created by two lovely women here in Fayetteville, Amanda Elias and Meagan Riggs, their mission is to grow togetherness between people in our community.  Whether that be through a personal party or a community event, they are refocusing our time to what matters most: being with one another.

Gathered Marketplace can plan and throw your holiday party (or any get together!). They can help you figure out a location (which doesn't have to be your home but it CAN be!), a theme, and even activities.  I am not referring to your typical party games.  These ladies are full of creativity and they can create workshops, projects, and more for you and your friends.  You don't have to think of anything - Gathered can figure it out for you.

One recent event they hosted was a workshop on making your own Magnolia Garland.  What a perfectly southern thing to learn!  Friends gathered, enjoyed wine and appetizers, and learned a new skill, all while spending precious time with one another.  I recently attended an event organized by Gathered and a friend.  Our workshop was on making floral leis.  We had a luau  to attend the following day, and we arrived with our freshly created carnation leis from our Gathered workshop.  Not only were the leis gorgeous, we were able to learn a new skill while spending time together at our Gathered event.

Gathered Marketplace works with local farmers to source incredible fresh florals and greenery.  Each time they create a floral event, you can be sure that the floral stems and greens will delight.  However, their expertise is not limited to florals, but believe me, you'll want to try to include them if you can. 

If you still feel like a party is just too much, you can attend one of Gathered Markeplace's many pop-up events.  One of my favorites was the evergreen pop-up shop that they just hosted at Leclair's General Store (which is amazing and will be having its own post shortly - check them out!).  There these talented ladies provide us with fresh floral stems, seasonal arrangements, and more.  You can meet your friends there, enjoy the time with one another, and knock out some holiday decorating in the process.  The options are endless!

Allowing someone to help you plan your holiday party (or any party) might feel defeating at first; perhaps a feeling that you could not "do it all".  However, once you have Gathered step in, you'll have so much fun that you might never turn back.  Not to mention the fun your friends will have - they will likely request more of such events in the future! Beyond parties, I know I contemplated just having them stop by to decorate my house with fresh greenery for Christmas; they'd probably agree to that if you asked with a little southern charm!

If you are not lucky enough to live in Fayetteville and have Gathered Marketplace to serve you, then be sure to check out what might be available in your community.  Enlisting help can save you a lot of headache and stress, and you'll still be able to enjoy those moments you crave with friends and family.  I know that Gathered Marketplace does a beautiful job helping to create those memories.  If you have not attended one of their events, grab a few friends and get there.  You won't regret it!

Have you attended a Gathered Marketplace Event?  What did you think?

- Casey

Workshop Photos by Jamie Pope Photography and all other Magnolia styling photos by Lola V Photography; Evergreen photos by Light and Cedar Photography Co. 

5 TIPS FOR THE BEST FRIENDSGIVING

I love Thanksgiving.  I think it is my favorite holiday.  I love that it centers around family and friends, gathered together to celebrate what we are Thankful for.  I also love that it doesn't focus around gifts, events, and other things that tend to create chaos in the holiday season.  Don't get me wrong, I love tradition and the bustle of the holidays, but there is something sweet about Thanksgiving being solely about the food and time we share together (well, and football :)

We started having a Friendsgiving about 13 years ago.  Due to the military schedule my husband was on, traveling 18 hours home just did not make sense.  We found we were not the only people that were stranded on Thanksgiving.  Thus, our Thanksgiving became one of the Thanksgiving Misfits so we liked to call it!  People who did not go home to visit family.

Over time, it has grown to include some family members that do travel to join us for Thanksgiving, and it includes anyone we know that might not have a place to celebrate Thanksgiving.  It has been one of our most enjoyable traditions.  This year, we will celebrate our 14th Friendsgiving and we have learned some great tips for success.  Allow me to share:

1.  Cook several, smaller turkeys

I like to cook several, smaller turkeys so they don't dry out.  When you are feeding a crowd, you tend to think bigger is better, but the smaller turkeys keep more moisture in because they have more bone to meat ratio...yum! It also allows you to carve them more easily and plate them in several areas for easy access. 

2. Farm out the drinks

Several of our guests do travel to join us and they'd like to bring something, but cannot cook it on the road.  Having those guests bring drinks is a wonderful way for them to help, without having to mess with cooking.

3. Don't Farm out the basics

I consider the basics of the meal Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, and Pumpkin Pie (you might add to this list but these are the staples).  I learned the hard way that you risk a lot when you tell someone else to bring one of these items.  They MIGHT change their mind and not show up with one of the staples of the meal, throwing you into a panic.  When this happened to me, I vowed never again to "farm out a staple" dish. I now respond - "bring anything you'd love to have or are good at making".  If you have more of the basics, it's a win!

4. Appetizers are key (but keep them simple)

Thanksgiving dinner is hard to time, especially with guests rotating in.  We make a lot of easy appetizers (think dips, cheese, crackers, fruit, muffins, bars, etc) for snaking throughout the day so the meal can be made without "hangry" people in the kitchen!

5.  Accept help and be Thankful for it

People want to help.  They see you as a host and feel that they want to be helpful to you.  Allow this and go beyond that, be thankful for it.  Sometimes I get bogged down in just trying to "get it done", which does somewhat miss the point of it all.  When I step back and allow the help to happen, I find I enjoy the time so much more. 

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

— William Arthur Ward

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether it be with friends or family.  It is my favorite holiday and I am thankful for the chance to share it with you.

Do you have tips for a successful Friendsgiving?

- Casey

INVEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY

One of the best ways we have found out how to make our homes more appealing and better suited to the market is through investing in our community.

Investing does not always equate money.  There are a lot of forms of investment that bring great returns.  Investing our time, talent, and treasure in our community has expanded our knowledge on what our clients are looking for, and how we can better meet the needs of those we serve.

For example, we are active in several community organizations, community parks and recreation activities, religious organizations, and the local arts community.  We attend local events and socialize with neighbors.  We do our best to lend a hand in organizing neighborhood socials, events, and groups. 

Participation in these activities not only allows us to grow as a family and as individuals, but we engage in discussion that educates us on the frustrations and limitations of our community.  We also learn about plans that are being developed to improve the community for expansion and growth.  We hear the needs of the area, the highlights of the neighborhood, and see the direction things are moving.

While this may seem lofty and unimportant, it is anything but.  If you understand where your community is headed, you can be wise in your financial decisions about how to invest your money.  For example, if you know your city is about to embark on a downtown restoration project where they plan to highlight historic projects and preservation, then you have an idea that land and homes in that area will likely appreciate with the investment by the city.  Now might be a time to look at the adjacent properties that might be currently undervalued so that you can invest early. Likewise, if you learn the city plans to expand a major operation and relocate it to another area of town, this could move jobs out of your area and relocate them.  Property values can be affected as the demand for your location might decrease.

Concurrently, you can also learn about what people like and dislike about their current homes and neighborhood.  Are they craving more space? Better quality appliances? A nicer layout? Improved maintenance? The list goes on.  Whether they rent or own homes, they have something to share and you get a sense for what is trending in your area now.

Understanding your community is imperative to understanding how to optimize your rental.  knowing the needs and plans of those around you will help you better serve your clients and ultimately result in a better place to live for you and them.  Even small, local investments of your energy, talents, and money can offer great returns both socially, mentally, and physically. 

What have you learned about your community this week? Does it spark an idea that you might be able to act on? What might the result of your action bring? I'd love to know!

- Casey